After tomorrow's dinner, Gordon Brown will present goodie bags that will showcase "British creativity". They will include a tie designed by one of three British tailors (Ozwald Boateng, Timothy Everest and Richard James), a tea towel from Ulster-based linen producer Thomas Ferguson Irish Linen, Kelly Hoppen candles, and Rococo chocolates. What about those world leaders who don't wear ties – German chancellor Angela Merkel, say, or Nehru-jacket-sporting Indian premier Manmohan Singh? Will they get an alternative gift? "I don't know," sighs a long-suffering No 10 spokesman. "I'll get someone to call you back with that information." At the time of going to press, no one has.

I guess that the 52-year-old Gaff wasn't familiar with alligator handling, or perhaps his reflexes were slowing a bit with middle age. With a two or three-foot alligator, you grab it by the scruff of the neck with one hand and secure the tail with the other hand. It's actually possible to stun a small alligator by flipping it onto its back and stroking its belly, something I have seen the late herpetologist Ross Allen and his son Tom do on occasion. Ross was famed in Florida for his reptile handling, and ran the snake show at Silver Springs for many years. He is mentioned in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' book Cross Creek and actually took Rawlings rattlesnake hunting.

Here's a pic of Ross in his prime:

Maybe he wasn't as charismatic as the late Steve Irwin, but Ross taught many thousands of Americans to not be afraid of the reptiles that dwell among us.

Psycho killer Robert Stewart stalked the halls of Pinelake Health & Rehab Center, a nursing home in Carthage, NC, where his recently estranged wife worked. Stewart had already shot 8 people when Officer Justin Garner, 25, confronted him from the end of a hallway. They exchanged shots; Stewart hit Garner in the foot and leg, Garner ended the confrontation with a single shot to Stewart's chest.

Stewart has survived Garner's bullet, and is in the hospital awaiting transfer to jail. He faces 8 first-degree murder charges.

USA Todayhas a fine story about Garner, the young cop who ended the killing spree. Here's a pic of the hero:

On my way out of the nursing home after visiting my mother this afternoon, I saw a herd of 8-10 deer feeding on the sweet new grass on the border of the property. When they heard me exit via the side door they quickly ran into the adjacent woods.

1. All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.) 3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges. 4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.

Hey, pit bulls are the weapon of choice among criminal gangs, did you know that? These Assault Dogs serve no purpose other than to kill. They need to be banned. Or at least registered. Owners of these Assault Dogs should have to keep them muzzled at all times, except maybe once a day for feeding purposes. Maybe if we can't ban them right away we can draw up more effective Dog Control laws so that our children aren't endangered. Maybe we can limit the number of Assault Dogs that a person can own, or limit the number than they can purchase at one time. And we need to close the dog show loophole, too.

Police here in Charlotte made two arrests in an assault in which shots were fired at an undercover policeman. The Charlotte Observer didn't publish photos or description of the perpetrators, but did name them: Demarcus Dontavion Dubose and Marcus Avery Moore, which my intuition tells me are not a couple of white guys.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has applauded the effort – with one caveat. "We're only supportive of the plan if the toads are killed humanely – in other words, they're not hit with baseball bats or cricket bats and golf clubs," said spokesman Michael Beatty.

Friday, March 27, 2009

The strategy involves not just military intervention, with more than 20,000 US military reinforcements to Afghanistan and extra training for Afghan security forces, but billions of dollars of direct aid to Pakistan, and even the creation of "opportunity zones" in border regions.

I didn't know that he loves opera singing, and is a skilled baritone singer in his own right. It's too bad he hasn't recorded before, and at his age it's possibly too late now, since his voice won't be at it's best.

He's been in so many great movies; he's the definitive Dracula, and I loved him as Rochefort in the Richard Lester version of The Three Musketeers. Saruman, Count Dooku; so many fine performances.

One of Lee's more obscure performances was his appearance as Death on Saturday Night Live, in which he turned what would presumably be a terrifying avatar into a gentle, sympathetic character.

Down in the comments someone wonders why Lee hasn't received a knighthood. I agree, it's long overdue. I wonder if he's privately refused one?

If you are like me, perhaps you are more interested in reading and watching science fiction than you are true science. So you might be re-reading Larry Niven's superb Ringworld and hear the name Freeman Dyson; later you might be watching an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation,, and see good ol' Scotty crash-land on a Dyson Sphere named after that same Freeman Dyson. You might think to yourself, self, I need to learn more about this Freeman Dyson.

Here is your chance. Nicholas Davidoff of The New York Times has done the work, all you have to do is read it. It's a wonderful introduction to Freeman Dyson, the octogenarian scientist who was born in England but long ago joined himself to the US, to our great benefit. Unusual for a modern scientist, Dyson has remained open-minded and skeptical, unwilling to sink to the level of lesser intellects who seem to have all the world's answers.

The Bill of Rights and Responsibilities would reaffirm every citizen's right to equal health care if they become ill, decent treatment if they become a victim of crime, free education for every child and universal access to good housing.

And the responsibilities?

The statement of responsibilities could include the duty to pay taxes and obey the law, as well as vote in elections, undertake jury service if summoned and treat public sector staff with respect.

Reflecting modern worries about the planet's future, it could also require citizens to live "within our environmental limits". The proposals came after Gordon Brown put the issue of constitutional reform at the centre of his leadership campaign in 2007.

Doesn't look very promising for British citizens subjects. "Decent treatment if they become a victim of crime" doesn't leave room for self-defense against criminals, at least on the face of it. And the responsibilities very much sound like shut your mouth and do as you're told.

And any such list should certainly be put to the voters to approve or disapprove.

As all law-abiding gun owners should know, there are four rules of gun safety that were formulated by USMC Colonel Jeff Cooper, the first of which is A Gun Is Always Loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.

Philip Collopy, a crime boss in Limerick, Ireland, apparently never learned these four rules. While explaining the workings of a Glock pistol to his henchmen, Collopy removed the magazine from the pistol, then pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger. Oops! There was still a round in the chamber, and Collopy blew his brains out, recorded for posterity by a phone camera. (No, video not available to the media).

The original movie was a star vehicle for the Duke, but the Coens are said to be planning a version closer to Charles Portis's 1968 novel, told from the point of view of a 14-year-old girl who hires a grizzled gunman to help find her father's killer.

I have news for you guys: the John Wayne version of True Grit was one of the more faithful movie versions of a book that I've ever seen from Hollywood.

You guys are just trying to cash in on a popular title. Why not just have Will Smith star in the remake? Black versions of popular movies seems to be the norm, these days.

Apparently Elba Leonor Diaz Soccarras, who emigrated legally to the US from Colombia, was suffering senile dementia which her family or caretakers apparently weren't willing to deal with, so they simply did the same thing you would do with a dog or cat: dump it somewhere.

Deputy Richard Castillo drew his gun after Margaret King failed to pull over promptly and then started to open her driver's side door, said Castillo's report for the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.

Failing to stop and opening a car door signals danger for deputies, Undersheriff Sal Baragiola told the Albuquerque Journal in a story published Monday.

Here's a pic for an example, a crucifix that is illuminated by the Sun on the spring Equinox:

I don't know if it is done with modern churches, but formerly churches were oriented, built along lines established by compass so that sunlight could enter the church at appropriate times. Orienting to a particular day is a more complicated feat, but has been done by the ancient Egyptians at Abu Simbel, and in Spain at the Cathedral of Toledo, to name just two examples.

Dominique likes knives, and, if you're stupid enough to sleep with her, might just carve her name in your flesh:

You'd think that with the current anti-knife hysteria going on in UK right now that Dominique would have received more than a scolding, but I guess that the judge is a fan of kinky sex and thought it was all good fun.

I believe in limited government. Government is at best a necessary evil, which tends to drift toward tyranny if not checked, as Thomas Jefferson, founder of the Democratic Party, noted. Every power that the government has is at the expense of liberty. Government is necessary to defend the nation, to provide infrastructure, and to protect us from each other. But as the repository of most force, it is also always a threat to freedom.

I believe in individual responsibility. The idea that someone else is responsible for all your troubles, and to take care of all your problems, is the source of much of our misery.

I believe there is no difference between a thug with a gun at the local 7-11 taking the money I earned for his own use, and a bunch of people who want to take that money getting together to elect officials who will send police and tax collectors to take the money I earned and give it to them, under the slogan of "Spreading the Wealth Around."

I believe that America is far from perfect, but that to equate her flaws with the grinding tyranny of other regimes, past or present, is the worst kind of sophistry and moral blindness. With all her faults, we need to guard our borders not to keep people in, but to prevent the tens of millions around the world who would like to come here from swamping our institutions, destroying the culture that made us great, and further ruining our economy.

Click the link to read it in its entirety. It's long, but I find that I agree with most of it. It should be required reading for all the Republicans in Congress.

The "health chiefs" think that this will reduce salt usage in the chip shops and lead to better health among the patrons.

This is very similar to the Congressional interference with toilets here in the US: Congress mandated a change to low-capacity 1-gallon toilet tanks as a water-saving measure; the toilets, unable to flush the contents of the bowl like the old 3-gallon toilets, clogged up, and soon people realized that they'd have to flush 2 or three times to get the same result.

Such will happen with the salt experiment. People will stand for it at first, until they realize they are being manipulated; then they'll take countermeasures, either by shaking the shaker for a longer period, or even by punching holes in the cap to facilitate better salt flow. Eventually, of course, a busybody and interfering government will simply try and ban salt shakers from the chip shops; see how well that goes down.

A man returning to his home near Marvin and Ardrey Kell roads was shot after confronting another man who apparently had burglarized his residence, police said.

Which is why you really aren't safe even in a "safe" neighborhood. We live in a low-crime area, but this incident shows that crime happens everywhere, and that to rely simply on percentages to save you from being a victim is ill-advised.

The tradition in Nevada is strongly associated with the Basque sheepherders who came to Nevada in significant numbers in the late 19th century. The yellowed pages of many a family cookbook include recipes for “bildoch pesta,” lamb fest or lamb party, with the ingredients — much to the consternation of outsiders — sometimes obtained with the teeth.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

A while back I mentioned that I wanted to purchase a new gun with my tax refund. I was thinking of either a stainless 1911A1 or an M1 Carbine. I wasn't sure which to get.

Well, I decided. I bought one of these:

Yep, I've become a heretic to the memory of John M. Browning (PBUH) and purchased a Glock 21, .45ACP caliber. Why did I do such a thing? Because I've owned 1911A1's in the past, and although I love them and respect them, I've never owned a Glock before, and wanted to experiment with something new. 1911A1's were one of the best semiautomatic pistols of the first half of the 20th century; Glocks were the best of the last half of the 20th century. I am limiting myself by not owning and becoming familiar with one.

I'll be evaluating this Glock in the months to come, and I'll report on my findings here. Of my first impressions, all I can say is that I wonder about the grip; finger grooves should be omitted, because shooters have fingers of varying sizes and grooves necessarily force fingers to position themselves on the pistol in ways that may not be the most comfortable or suitable. It seems more compact than a 1911A1, more chunky, more...square. More...black. The absence of multiple safeties is both disturbing and refreshing at the same time. I've been mostly a revolver shooter for most of my life, so lack of external safeties in itself doesn't bother me. As for possibly snagging the trigger when holstering, I don't think it will be an issue. Time will tell.

In a New York Times op/ed column, Carl Hulse expresses the Times' official dissatisfaction with the moderate (Blue Dog) Democrats in the House of Representatives who refuse to adhere to the liberal party line on gun control.

Even the MSM these days is admitting that the 1994 loss of Congress by the Democrats was as a result of the gun control legislation passed that year.

Game wardens were suspicious of large, 10-point antlers on such a small deer, though. I'd have to guess that Fournier had neglected to sew a nutsack onto the doe's hindquarters, too.

Which raises a question in my mind; hunters, could you tell me what happens when hunter shoots a hermaphrodite deer? Does (s)he get to choose the gender when confronted by the game wardens? Do you get charged with two deer instead of one? How exactly does this work?

And, of course, this whole story reminds me of another famous deer conversion kit:

About Me

What I'm Reading

JL Curtis: Gray Man - - Partners

Hitchens

The MSM

A newsroom comprised entirely of leftists/liberals is no more capable of ideological objectivity than an all-white newsroom would be of racial objectivity, or an all-male newsroom of gender objectivity.

FlickR

Captain Louis Renault

"Round Up the Usual Suspects."

The Drawn Cutlass Philosophy

Be as decent as you can. Don't believe without evidence. Treat things divine with marked respect, and don't have anything to do with them. Do not trust humanity without collateral security, it will play you some scurvy trick. Remember that it hurts no one to be treated as an enemy entitled to respect until he prove himself a friend worthy of affection. Cultivate a taste for distasteful truths. And, finally, most important of all, endeavor to see things as they are, not as they ought to be.

Ambrose Bierce

The Foe

When I am free to walk the streets of Mecca or Medina as the agnostic I am and receive nothing but curious glances, I will believe Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance.

Sign On. You Know You Want To.

A Few Words From Some Founding Fathers

Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety

All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.

Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)

Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.

Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.

Bob's Addendum To Cooper's Rules

A Gun is not a Toy. Don't Play With It.

Bob's Theory of Hush Puppies

Bob's Theory of Hush Puppies: The best hush puppies are oblong shaped, rather like dog turds. The worst ones are spherical, like balls. The spherical ones are usually made from the recipe on a pre-packaged box of hush puppy mix.

Restaurant Ratings

My restaurant ratings, mostly intended for BBQ restaurants, will be on a 1-5 scale, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. Unlike most reviewers, I don't intend to play games with the rating scale by introducing fractions such as "2 and 1/2" or "4 and 3/4," I've always considered that stupid and a signal that the reviewer is trying to avoid making an honest 1-5 judgment.

Here is the breakdown of the ratings:

1 out of 5: waste of time, crap, unable to finish eating; apathy by staff/ownership

2 out of 5: edible, but no effort to impress; staff/management going through motions; desultory.

3 out of 5: average; reasonably good food, moderate effort by staff/management

On Self-Reliance

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."